CG C60: The Sect Library (Patreon)

Just as Kai set off from his pagoda, a white-robed figure nearly collided with him. Kai instinctively sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the collision.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" The young man exclaimed, stumbling back. His messy brown hair fell into his eyes as he bowed deeply. "Please forgive me, Senior Brother Kai! I didn't mean to get in your way."

Kai blinked, taking in the boy's appearance. White robes... an Outer Sect disciple. Wait, I know this kid.

"Chen Wei?"

The boy's eyes widened. "Y-yes! That's me. I'm honored you remember, Senior Brother." He bowed again. "And thank you so much for choosing me as your servant! I promise I won't let you down."

My servant? Oh right, I forgot about that whole thing. Kai had been so focused on his meeting with the Sect Master that he'd completely forgotten about selecting a personal servant.

But as he looked at Chen Wei's eager face, an idea struck him. Actually, this is perfect timing.

Kai smiled. "No need to apologize, Chen Wei. In fact, your arrival is quite fortunate. I was just about to head to the library, but I'm not entirely sure where it is. Would you mind showing me the way?"

Chen Wei's face lit up. "Of course, Senior Brother! I'd be happy to guide you. Please, follow me."

As they set off down the path, Kai gestured for Chen Wei to walk beside him rather than behind. The boy seemed surprised but quickly fell into step.

As they walked, Kai noticed other disciples in white robes watching them. Many shot envious glances at Chen Wei.

To distract from the awkward atmosphere, Kai decided to probe for information. "Tell me about the library, Chen Wei."

Chen Wei's face lit up at the chance to be helpful. "Oh, the sect library is incredible, Senior Brother! It's one of the largest collections of knowledge in the entire kingdom. There are scrolls and books on every subject imaginable - history, geography, cultivation techniques, alchemy recipes, and so much more!"

"That sounds promising," Kai said. "What kind of access do disciples have?"

Chen Wei's excitement dimmed slightly. "Well, as an Outer Disciple, my access is quite limited. We're only allowed in certain sections, mostly basic cultivation manuals and general knowledge. But you're a Legacy Disciple! You should have access to almost everything, except perhaps some restricted areas for Elders only."

"What about you, Chen Wei?" Kai asked. "What do you like to study when you visit the library?"

Chen Wei's eyes lit up with excitement. "I love reading about sect history and famous cultivators! There are so many incredible stories. Did you know our sect once had a disciple named Yan who reached the Nascent Soul realm in just three years?"

Kai's eyebrows shot up. "Three years? That's... incredible."

"Oh yes!" Chen Wei nodded enthusiastically. "Senior Brother Yan was a true prodigy. They say he mastered all of the sect's lightning techniques before he was twenty. Everyone believed he would become the next Sect Master."

Kai leaned in, intrigued. "So what happened to this Yan? Did he become Sect Master?"

Chen Wei's expression turned somber. "That's the mystery. Senior Brother Yan disappeared a few hundred years ago. No one knows what happened to him. It was a huge loss for the sect."

Kai's eyes narrowed slightly. "Disappeared? Just like that?"

"Yes," Chen Wei replied. "One day he was here, amazing everyone with his talent. The next... gone. Some say he ascended early, others think he might have been killed by rival sects. But no one really knows."

Kai mulled this over. "Has anything like that happened since then?"

Chen Wei nodded slowly. "It has, actually. Every now and then, a promising disciple will vanish. Not as talented as Yan, but still... it's concerning."

Kai felt a chill run down his spine. Multiple disappearances? That's not good.

"How often does this happen?" Kai asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

Chen Wei furrowed his brow. "It's hard to say. Maybe once every few decades? It's not common, but it happens enough that people talk about it."

Great, Kai thought. I show off my talent and become a Legacy Disciple, and now I find out my sect has a habit of losing its promising disciples.

I need to be careful. Very careful. I can't let my guard down, not even for a moment. And I definitely need to investigate these disappearances further. My life might depend on it, especially if they went missing whilst in the sect...

As they rounded a corner, a massive structure came into view. It was easily the largest building Kai had seen in the sect so far, its sweeping roof adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes.

"Here we are!" Chen Wei announced proudly. "The Grand Library of the Azure Sky Sect!"

Kai let out a low whistle, genuinely impressed. "It's certainly... grand."

The library was a sprawling, multi-story building that seemed to blend seamlessly with the mountainside. Its walls were a pristine white, with large windows allowing natural light to flood the interior. The entrance was flanked by two massive statues of robed figures, their hands outstretched as if offering knowledge to all who entered.

As they approached the entrance, Kai noticed an old man in a white robe sweeping the steps.

Odd. You'd think they'd have younger disciples do the cleaning.

"Chen Wei," Kai said quietly, "who's that old man?"

Chen Wei glanced at the sweeping figure and shrugged. "Oh, him? That's just old Shan. He's an Outer Disciple who failed to reach Foundation Establishment. Now he just keeps the library clean."

Kai's eyes widened slightly at the description. Wait a minute. Old man, seemingly insignificant job, guarding a place of great knowledge... This sounds suspiciously like a classic xianxia trope.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a system message appeared in Kai's vision:

Unknown Entity

Level: ???

Unable to identify.

Entity's level exceeds your perception ability by a significant margin.

Well, well, well, Kai thought, a small smile tugging at his lips. Looks like my genre savviness is paying off. This "old man" is definitely more than he appears.

Curious, Kai checked his map. Sure enough, the old man's position was marked by a large green dot. Comparing it to his memory of the Sect Master's marker, Kai estimated it was only slightly smaller.

So, probably in the same cultivation realm as the Sect Master, but a lower sub-stage. Interesting.

Kai considered his options. In most stories, being kind to the undercover powerful character usually led to some benefit for the protagonist. And even if it didn't, what was the harm in being polite?

"Chen Wei," Kai said, "wait here for a moment. I'd like to say hello to Elder Shan."

Chen Wei's eyes widened in confusion. "Elder? But he's just a-"

Kai was already walking towards the old man, leaving a bewildered Chen Wei to scramble after him.

"Good morning," Kai said as he approached, bowing respectfully. "I'm Kai, a new disciple of the Azure Sky Sect. It's a pleasure to meet you."

The old man stopped sweeping and looked up, studying Kai intently. After a moment, he nodded. "Shan," he said simply.

Kai bowed again. "It's an honor to meet you, Elder Shan."

The old man's eyebrows rose slightly. "Elder? No, no. Just Shan. No elder here, young man."

Playing the part well. But two can play at this game.

"My apologies, Shan," Kai said. "I shouldn't have presumed. I'm new here and still learning my way around."

An awkward silence fell. The old man stared at Kai expectantly, as if to say, "Well? What do you want?"

Not wanting to seem suspicious, Kai smiled. "I just wanted to say hello. It's my first time visiting the library."

Shan blinked, clearly not expecting such a simple reason. After a moment, he nodded again.

"Well, I won't keep you from your work," Kai said. "Have a good day, Shan."

As Kai turned to enter the library, he caught a glimpse of the old man's face. For just a moment, a flicker of... something... passed across his features. Interest? Amusement? It was gone too quickly for Kai to be sure.

Once inside, Chen Wei hurried to catch up with Kai. "Senior Brother," he whispered, "why did you speak to Old Shan?"

Kai smiled, knowing that if his hunch was correct, the old man could probably hear every word with his superior cultivation. "You know, Chen Wei, I come from a simple village. Just because I'm a Legacy Disciple now doesn't mean I've forgotten my humble beginnings. Everyone deserves respect, no matter their station."

Chen Wei's eyes widened, clearly impressed by Kai's words. "That's... that's very wise, Senior Borther."

And hopefully, that earns me some brownie points with our hidden powerhouse. If I'm going to be spending a lot of time in the library, it can't hurt to have him on my good side. Best case, it leads to some secret technique or hidden knowledge. Worst case, I've wasted a few minutes being polite. Low risk, potentially high reward.

As they stepped into the main hall of the library, Kai couldn't help but gasp. The main hallway of the library was impressive, to say the least. The ceiling soared high above, supported by tall pillars. Rows upon rows of shelves stretched out in every direction, filled with scrolls and bound volumes. Natural light filtered in through large windows, supplemented by glowing crystals placed strategically around the room.

Now this is more like it. If knowledge is power, then this place is a goldmine.

A middle-aged man in blue robes approached them, a gentle smile on his face. "Welcome to the Azure Sky Sect Library," he said, bowing slightly. "I am Elder Jie, the head librarian. How may I assist you today?"

Kai returned the bow, noting the system message that popped up:

Name: ???

Cultivation: Nascent Soul Realm

"Greetings, Elder Jie," Kai replied. "I'm Kai, a new Legacy Disciple. I've come to do some research."

Elder Jie's eyebrows rose slightly. "Ah, yes. The Sect Master mentioned you might be paying a visit. Welcome, young Kai. What area of study interests you? Perhaps you'd like to see our technique scrolls? We have quite an impressive collection."

Kai shook his head. "Thank you, Elder, but not today. Since it's my first day here, I thought I'd start with some history and background information. There wasn't much of that available in my village, you see."

Elder Jie nodded approvingly. "A wise choice, young man. It's important to understand the foundations before delving into advanced techniques. Please, follow me. I'll show you to our history section."

As they walked, Elder Jie explained the library's organization system. "We use a color-coded system to denote different subjects. Blue for history, green for geography, red for combat techniques, and so on. As a Legacy Disciple, you have access to most sections, though some areas are restricted to Elders only."

Kai nodded, making mental notes. This will save time later. No need to wander aimlessly when I can go straight to what I need.

"Over there is our alchemy wing," Elder Jie said, indicating an area blocked by blue barriers. "And that staircase leads to the formation theory levels."

I'll definitely need to explore those areas later, especially the formation section.

They soon arrived at a section filled with blue-bound scrolls and books. Elder Jie gestured with a wave of his hands. "Here we are. This section contains our general histories. If you need anything more specific, please don't hesitate to ask. I or one of my assistants will be happy to guide you."

“Thank you, Elder,” Kai bowed.

As the Elder departed, Kai turned to Chen Wei. "You're welcome to browse as well, Chen Wei. Just stay nearby in case I need anything."

Chen Wei's eyes lit up. "Really? Thank you, Senior Brother!"

As the boy scampered off to a nearby shelf, Kai began scanning the titles before him. Let's see... 'A Complete History of the Azure Sky Sect'... 'Great Battles of the Eastern Continent'... 'Legendary Cultivators Through the Ages'...

His eyes suddenly locked onto a scroll near the bottom shelf. The title, written in elegant calligraphy, read: "The Era of the Gods."

Now that sounds promising, Kai thought, reaching for the scroll. If I want to understand this world, might as well start at the beginning.

As his fingers closed around the ancient parchment, Kai felt a slight tingle run through his hand. He glanced around, but nothing seemed amiss. Chen Wei was engrossed in a book a few shelves away, and the other disciples in the library went about their business as usual.

Probably just my imagination. Or maybe some kind of preservation technique on the scroll?